Trolley-catcher.



PATENTBD MAY 19, 1908.

W. 0. 1301mm, TROLLEY GATGHER.

APPLICATION FILED SBP'IHQI, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Fig. 1.

3 vwentoz LU. (aura 071 PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

W. C. BURDON. TROLLEY CATGHER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.21.1906.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W6 tn ems UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\YILL IS t. B I'RDON OF LOUISVILLE. KENTIYKY, ASSIGNUR O1 FORTY-NINE ONE- lll'NDREDTHS TO t. H. JENKINS AND THOMAS W. MORAN. 0F LOUISVLLLE, KEN- TROLLEY-CATCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 180

Application filed September 21, 1906. Serial No. 336,537.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WiLLis C. BURDON, a citizen of the United States, resident of Louisville, in the county of Jetl'crson and State of Kentucky, have made a. certain new and useful invention in li'olley-(atcliers; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same. such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the acconi mnying tlra\v ings, and to letters or ligures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure l is a front view of my invention as applied. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 Fig. 3, the rope being shown in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 -3 Fig. 2, the upper reel pulley being removed. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 --l, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side view of the reel pulley and its attached parts. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the pawl. Fig.- 7 is a detail central longitudinal section of the weight arm. Fi 8 is a detail crosssection taken horizontally through the back plate of the incaseinent.

The invention has relation to trolley catchers or devices for holding a trolley when it has escaped from the conductor wire; and the invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts, as herciiiaftcr set forth.

In the acconipan ing drawings, illustrating the. invention, t ie etter lL,(lSlg1lal(S a trolley rope, the u per end of which is dc si ned to be attacied to a trolley polc b. T iis rope forinsthe connection between the trolley mic and an automatic tension pulley c, which is pivoted in the upper cylindrical portion of a casin (Z, the lower part of which consists of a we extension 6, in which a wei ht f, is designed to workup and down,

saitl weight beingalsoconnected to the polley c, by means of-its' rope it. The pulley c, is a double reel pulleyliaving a hearing g, for the trolley rope; and a hearing it, for the weight rope; and hese ropes are wound thereon in opposite directions, so that when the trolleyrope is-ber'i tg wound up, thawei ht rope is unwinding, and the reverse. In t iis way a weight o'f-three 01 four pounds will serve to keep the trolley re 0 taut, and the pull of the weight will be tlie same at high points along the trolley wire, as it is at low points.

,dog p, by a link.

The 11 per cylindrical portion of the casing is provi ed with a ratchet face Fr, having internal teeth in, and the double reel pulley is provided with a dog p, pivotedto its back, and adapted to engage said ratchet when thrown out of normal position.' In its normal osition it does not engage the ratchet, and it is held to such disengaged position by means of a spring 8, whose tension draws the dog inward against an abutment lu if. Also pivot-ed centrally to the back of the pulley upon the shaft thereof is a radial weight arm w, extending upon one side only of such shaft and which is connected to the tailoi' the The weight well 0, is usually square in cross section, and is provided with an eye lu 2', in its back wall for the attachment of t io end of the weight rope a. The weight designed to be of square form, and of proper size to move easily in the well. It is proyided'with a pulley 1', which engages the suspension loop a, of the weight rope.

The reel bearing 9, of the able reel pulley for the trolley rope is of larger diameter than the reel bearing It, for the weight rope} in order to provide for sullicicnt leverage to enable the parts to o )erate in an efficient manner. So long as the trolley runs evenly along the conductor wire, the play of the weight will be slight. leaves the conductor wire. it will be thrown violently upward by the spring of the trolley polc, causing the reel pulley to turn rapidly and throw out the dog 1), bccausc ol' the iiicrt'ia of the weight arm ui. In this way the dog iscauscd toimiiiediatciyengageoncol' the teeth of the ratchet lt', stopping the reel pulley and holding the trolley polc down.

When the trolley rope is manipulated to replace the trolley in engagement with the conductor wire, its tension on the reel .iulley ceases, and the dog isrephiccd in normal position, out of engagement with the ratchet, by lllBtlilS'Of its spring.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Ina trolley catcher, the combination of the casing havin an upper cylindrical por tion provided with ratchet teeth and a lower well extension, a pulley device having bearings in'the upper ortion'of said casing and a ratchet device or engagement with. said ratchet teeth, and a weight adapted to have movement in said well-extension and provided with an anti-friction roller, said pulley device having a trolley rope, and a weight rope passing around the weight roller and secured at its end to the casing.

2. In a trolley catcher, the combination of the casing hevin an upper cylindrical portion provided wit ratchet teeth, and a lower well extension, a pulley device having hearings in the upper portion of said casing, and a ratchet device for engagement with said ratchet teeth and comprising a pawl lever, a radial weight journaled upon a shaft of the pulley device and extending upon one side only of such shaft, and a retracting s ring extending ast the radial weight an attached directly to said awl lever, and a weight in said well extension having an antifriction roller, said pulley device having a trolley rope, and a weight rope passing around the Weight roller and secured to said casing at its end.

3. In a trolley catcher, the combination of the casing havin an upper cylindrical portion provided wit ratchet teeth, and a lower reduced Well extension, a double rotary pulley having a single she-ft provided with ournal bearings in said cylindrical portion of the casing, and a ratchet device for engagement with the ratchet teeth of the casing, and a Weight adapted to have movement in said well extenslon and having an attachment roller, said double pulley having a trolley rope connected to one part thereof, and a weight rope connected to the other part thereof, passing around the weight roller and secured to the side wall ofsaid casing. v

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIS C. BURDON. Witnesses T. WJMORAN,

J. W. ZIMMERMAN. 

